'Renunciation of all
possessions is Ahimsa; and appropriation of all possessions is Himsa'

The word 'tyag' is
derived from the root 'tyaj' by the addition of the suffix 'gham'.
The word renunciation means to cast aside, to give up, to get rid of, to
discard and to leave.

Some wise men have said:
'In this world it is not what we take up but what we give up, that makes
us rich.'

同所有的财产脱离关系称为Ahimsa；挪用所有的财产称为Himsa。

'tyag'源于'tyaj'一词加上词根'gham'。放弃一词的意思就是丢在一边，摆脱，摒弃和离开。

有些智慧的人曾经说过，在这个世界中，并不是因为我们得到了什么东西，而是因为我们失去了什么东西，使得我们变得富有。

Renunciation has been
assigned a great significance in the path of salvation propounded by the
omniscient Lord Jinendra. Therefore, for householders renunciation implies
charities; and for the ascetics it signifies the vow of 'Pratigraha'
i.e., abstention from greed of worldly possessions and the virtue of
freedom from attachments. One who cherishes the feeling of renunciation
without letting one's energies lie dormant, paves the way to attainment of
'Tirthankar Prakriti' i.e., the state of final liberation or
salvation. "Vyutsarjanam vyutsrgstyaga" means renunciation. To
acknowledge the non-self as different from self and then to become
non-attached to all worldly objects or to discard the non-self is
renunciation.

Vrishtrbina kuto maigha,
kav sasyam bijvartam

Jivanam ch bina tyagat,
sukhmupadyate kuta

I.e., How can rainfall be
possible without clouds? How can corn grow without sowing seeds? Likewise,
how can the living beings attain bliss without renunciation?

Every living creature is
aspirant for happiness. This happiness is an outcome of renunciation. When
a thing is fully and whole-heartedly given in charity to others, it is
called renunciation. If someone desires a return in exchange for a thing
donated or wants to get it back after once giving it to others as charity;
or donates something to others after getting his name inscribed on it, it
is not called renunciation. Only that can be called as giving, which is
given to the poor. All other giving is of the nature of barter.

Renunciation lends
greatness to a man. Lord Bahubali followed the path of renunciation and
attained his cherished goal. He conquered the kingdom of the sovereign
king Bharat and returned it to him thereafter without a hitch. How great
was the feeling of renunciation in his outlook on life! He was the noble
soul, who laid down the foundation of this grand Indian tradition of
returning a kingdom after once conquering it; which has become an immortal
heritage of Indian culture to the coming generations. Lord Ram also won
over Lanka after defeating Ravan, and then he renounced it by crowning
Vibhishan the king of Lanka. In the modern age also we see that our worthy
Prime Minister of India, Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri won the war against
Pakistan but soon after returned the vast territory of Pakistan conquered
by our jawans. Likewise, in Bangla-Pakistan war, Bangladesh
triumphed as a result of the open support and huge military aid of India;
but Shrimati Indira Gandhi handed over Bangladesh to her people.
First, to conquer and then to return the conquered land to her people has
been the noble tradition of this land; for we are the staunch followers of
the religion of renunciation. Rightly has it been said; "A generous mind
never enjoys its possessions so much as when others are made partakers of
them."

We can conquer the world
through love, friendship and a spirit of renunciation. We cannot subdue
the free spirit of nation merely by the force of arms. The military
strength or power of weapons may give temporary defeat to an enemy nation
but cannot vanquish her free spirit or win heart of people except with
love and affection as the Holy Buddha did by preaching Buddhism in Shri
Lanka, Burma and Japan. In the book 'Early History of Vaishali' an eminent
historian of Europe has written that Lord Mahavira was born in a
Kshatrya clan, whose people were always at war with one another
fighting with swords. Lord Mahavira preached to them -'Do not tease and
torture even the smallest creature like an ant; rather give love and
protection to it'. In the modern age one man is bent upon torturing and
killing another man, instead of giving him fraternal love and affection.
Should we call him humane? All of us have to develop the outlook of Lord
Mahavira. Renunciation is a must to become great like Mahavira. In 'Baras
Anupekha' Acharya Kundkund Swami has defined the supreme virtue
of renunciation as below:

Lord Jinendra has stated,
"A living being, who discarding attachment to things, non­self maintains
an indifferent outlook for physical body and worldly pleasures, is endowed
with the virtue of renunciation." A man cannot obtain peace and happiness
by accumulating material things like wealth and property, nor do these
things enhance his prestige; rather their renunciation adds to his
prestige and honor, and he achieves peace and happiness.

There lived a very wealthy
householder in a city; but he was greedy by nature. He neither took nice
food nor put on nice clothes, nor gave money in charity for religious
deeds and other noble causes. His chief aim in life was to accumulate
money by saving every penny day and night. What to say of seeing his face,
people disliked even to hear his name in the morning. The scriptures say,
"namatikripanrsya cha", i.e., the name of a miser is not worth
speaking. Such people are condemned and disdained wherever they go. After
all who can show respect to such selfish men? In the modern times we daily
come across so many affluent persons, who hesitate to donate even a penny
for religious functions and for a good cause, but are forced to pay huge
amount of money as taxes. They are aversive to give donation to every
category of charity-seekers viz. superb, medium and lower type. On the
contrary such people try to win false prestige and glory by arranging
garden parties in honor of high government officers, and feeding the
gentry on the eve of wedding receptions. But this greedy rich person was a
perfect devil. What to speak of giving donation to social institutions, he
did not give even a tip of twenty-five paisa to a peon. If
sometimes a hungry beggar knocked at his door asking for food, he would
shut the door in his face and make a pretext of sickness but never offered
him food. The Tamil scholar Ka Naa Subramanyam rightly says:

"The fullness of the life
of the house-holder is achieved when he feeds those, who come hungry to
him. Indeed he, that shares his food with the hungry, will never go hungry
at any time. Those who fast in penance endure hunger; to do away with
hunger in others is better than fasting in penance."

Therefore, both the king
and the masses showed no veneration to this greedy rich man. Still he was
a God-fearing man and had high faith in prayer and worship. Turning the
beads and chanting verses from the 'Ramayan', he would walk in
heavy rainfall or pitch darkness even to a distant place to listen to the
holy sermons of sages and priests. But the temple priest who delivered the
holy sermons never extended him any welcome, and would not give him a seat
of honor close by him. He used to get a back seat in a corner on the
temple mat; because all knew that he would not offer even a single penny
to the learned priest as gift.

But God knows how one-day
good sense prevailed on him. When all the blemishes of his soul were
washed away by the shower of religious hymns. What good effect of the
pious deeds of his previous births prompted him? At the end of the sermon
when all the devotees had made their offerings to the holy priest, the
rich miser took out a bundle wrapped in a piece of dirty cloth from under
his armpit and offered several dazzling silver coins to the priest as
gift. The whole gathering and the priest himself were taken aback by his
action. Voices poured from all directions that no one knows when the
almighty may bring a change in outlook and a staunch miser may become
extremely generous. When the miser began to return to his former seat
devoid of all sense of vanity and with bowed head, the priest holding him
by the hand gave him an honorable seat on the costly carpet. No sooner did
the rich man take his seat, than he spoke, "O Holy Priest! Money enjoys a
great value and wins prestige in the world. Till yesterday I was a
neglected person and you gave me a lower seat at a distance; but why all
this honor and welcome today?" On hearing these words of praise for
riches, the priest spoke, "O Seth! You are mistaken. Even yesterday
you were rich, but did not enjoy social prestige. This reverence is for
renunciation, not for riches." "Dhanam tygain shobhatay". Riches
win glory by renouncing them. None can win fame and prestige by
accumulating money like a honeybee, which collects honey in the beehive.
Only when we utilize money like a bee, which collects honey in the
beehive. Only when we utilize money for personal uplift or social well
being by donating it to social and religious institutions like schools,
hospitals, Dharamshalas and temples, that it wins us name, fame and
glory. Riches, which are not utilized for noble cause, are worthless like
dust. A rich man always lives in tension. Fear of thieves, robbers and
income tax raids, haunts his mind forever. Riches come to a man by good
luck and sincere, earnest labor and if used judiciously for a right cause,
they bring him mental peace and happiness. Squandering money on trifles
e.g., sensuous pleasures or vices like gambling, drinking and prostitution
is the misappropriation of riches and it is a heinous crime as well as a
sin.

The supreme virtue of
renunciation is a part and parcel of religion. The two are indivisible. We
cannot separate renunciation from religion and soul. One should renounce
worldly possessions devotedly within one's power, "shaktistyaga".
Trees renounce fruits and keep us alive. The mountains cast away stones
and pebbles, which we use for construction works; and from which statues
and idols are carved out. Renunciation is regarded as a superb type of
virtue. It is helpful in the attainment of liberation or salvation i.e.,
it is a cause and means to liberation.

The Jain prophets endowed
with a humanitarian outlook recommend that if a person ever happens to
earn more than his requirements, he must give away his money in Dana
(charities). The best forms of charities
prescribed by religion are four:

i) Ahara Dana
-giving food to the hungry and poor;

ii) Abhaya Dana
-Saving the lives of living beings in danger;

iii) Aushadha or
Bhaishajya Dana -distribution of medicines;

iv) Gyana or Shastra
Dana -Spreading knowledge.

These charities are called
the 'Chaturvidha Dana' -the four-fold gifts by Jain
religion; and it has been enjoined on the householders that they should
make special efforts to give these charities to the needy, irrespective of
caste and creed. Even now, in all parts of India, the Jains have
rigorously maintained the tradition by giving freely 'Chaturvidha Dana'
-four fold gifts.

Even though one has
husbanded all one's wealth, one will be without support in the long run,
if one has not given a part of his wealth in charity. Giving in charity is
perhaps one of the commonest of moral advocacy's under any religious
system; the Hindu, the Buddhist, the Christian and the Islamic along with
the Jains prescribe it as one of the right ways of conduct. Renunciation
provides us nothing but more and more happiness. Renunciation vanquishes
all vices of a man. It spreads one's shining glory all around. Religion
advocates renunciation, not indulgence in worldly allurements.

According to the above
statement charities given wisely only after careful thought are called
true renunciation. One gets peace only by such type of renunciation.
Hence, before giving charities generously, it is most essential that a man
should ponder well over the pros and cons of what he intends to give in
charity and to whom he intends to give. Donations given after proper
thought under no momentary emotional urge born out of a feeling of
compassion aroused by an imposter saint or an idler i.e., a work shirking
person who wants to extort money under some false pretext, are termed
renunciation. Contribution of funds to political parties or giving alms to
beggars, who misuse in drinks and intoxicants is in no way donation or
charity; rather it is squandering of money. Beware, it is better not to be
charitable at all than to give charity to an undeserving person.

Renunciation affords
peace. It is a psychological truth. Only a large-hearted and
liberal-minded person can give donation. The more a donor renounces
worldly possessions, the greater is the number of ripples of happiness
that rise in his heart. Therefore, it is essential for the lucky affluent
persons to constantly follow the practice of giving charities forever in
life. If rain, water in a river goes on accumulating and there is no
outlet i.e., the river does not supply water to the fields and oceans; it
will be flooded. Its water overflowing both its banks will create havoc
all around resulting in the ruin of crops and vast costly properties and
many innocent lives will meet untimely death. The sun has been
illuminating the whole world ever since the earth came into existence by
casting its innumerous dazzling rays which give both light and warmth to
one and all. If the sun does not shed its luminous rays, no living
creature, no vegetation and no plant will survive on earth. Likewise, if
out of a feeling of selfishness a man adopts the tendency of accumulating
wealth, the financial disparities in the world will go on increasing and
create an economic crisis, which may result in bloodshed. Hence, such a
worshipper of Mammon will be called a traitor and a bloodsucker of the
poor. A well known statesman has said, "sehbhogyamidam rajyam" -the
amenities of the royal treasure must be enjoyed united by all through a
proper division of wealth.

When tasty fruits ripen on
trees, they drop them on the ground below without greed or sense of
possessions. How great is the debt of trees on man! Likewise, a man wins
glory and dignity only when he distributes among the needy the huge wealth
accumulated by him. So long as the clouds hold water, they look dark in
appearance; but as soon as they start raining i.e., renounce water drop by
drop, they begin to look snow white. Similarly, till a man accumulates
worldly possessions his inner soul blackened with anger like passions
seems a burden to him. But no sooner the same man starts giving in charity
his vast wealth accumulated by fair means or foul, than his inner feels
relieved of a burden; for it results in the purification of his thoughts.

The message of the founder
of Jainism Lord Adinath is, "Either be an ascetic or a cultivator." This
axiom signifies both renunciation and indulgence. Only those who have
amassed great fortunes can give charities. There can be no renunciation
without possessions to be given up. Those indulged in collecting more and
more material possessions should follow the ideal path of cultivators who
grow more and more to feed themselves and their fellow beings; or those
who have faith in true renunciation should follow suit to ascetics. No
doubt out of these two paths latter type of renunciation is regarded
better. Those who disdain worldly riches and cast them away without hitch
are held in high veneration; those who are busy day and night in earning
and spending lay waste their powers in accumulating articles of sensuous
pleasures. Self-uplift is possible only through renunciation not through
indulgence.

1Renunciation is a part and parcel of
religion. As a rule the two are inseparable. A perfectly purified soul
dedicated to the virtue of penance should practice with full devotion the
supreme virtue of renunciation within his capacity. That paves the way to
the attainment of a superior state of existence in the next birth.

2A horde of vices is driven away by
renunciation; it spreads the shining glory and fame of a person;
consequently an enemy surrenders and falls down at his feet. One gets the
bliss of happy land of Eldorado through renunciation.

3A man devoted to renunciation should
regularly give charity humbly and affectionately using auspicious words.
First of all he should give 'abhay daan' i.e., save the lives of
all living beings in danger; doing so vanquishes the miseries related to
the other world.

4Besides, one should give 'Shastra Dana'
as well i.e., he should distribute among the people sacred books and
scriptures, which impart and spread religious knowledge. He should make
free distribution of medicines also which cure living beings of all bodily
diseases, and destroy all physical ailments root and branch.

5Giving food to the Hungary and the poor i.e.,
'ahar daan' brings peace and prosperity in its return. As a rule
these are four types of charities (four-fold renunciation) practiced from
times immemorial. In other words putting an end to vicious thoughts
practices renunciation. In short, the virtue of renunciation consists in
doing all this.

6We should give alms to the miserable and show
reverence to the talented and virtuous persons. We should cherish the sole
feeling of mercy and meditate in our mind for the attainment of Perfect
Faith.

在定义至上的放弃这种美德的时候，伟大的诗人Reidhu写到：

1放弃是宗教的一部分，二者密不可分。进行苦修的纯洁的灵魂应当在其能力限度内进行完全的放弃。这将带领人们走向重生。

2放弃能够消除恶习，它能够传播荣耀与名誉，敌人将会在它的脚下投降。人们通过放弃能够得到福祉。

3遵行放弃美德的人们应当定期地进行布施，并说一些吉祥的话。首先他应当挽救处于危险中的人们的生命，以消除其他世界中的痛苦。

4除此之外，人们也应当布施书籍以及经文典籍，这将有助于知识的传播。他还应当布施药品来治疗人们的疾病。

5分发食物给饥饿和贫穷的人。奉行四种慈善，结束自己罪恶的想法。总而言之，上述所有的这些都构成了放弃的美德。

6我们应当放弃痛苦，尊重那些智慧以及善良的人们。我们应当珍惜慈善的情感并且对我们的思想进行沉思已获得完美的信仰。

Hence, O Mortal Man!
Practice renunciation, practice renunciation and practice renunciation
throughout your life; for wise men say: "The more you covet, the more you
lose; and the more you give up, the more you merit."

Indeed, 'To renounce all
sense of possession with regard to wealth is a very difficult vow."

To sum up, 'Riches have
wings and they flee us leaving us in the lurch.'

Therefore, it is wise to
renounce riches and all other possessions voluntarily and give charities;
otherwise when misfortune robs us of all our wealth and prosperity we
shall be left penniless waiting and cursing our destiny.